A/ P never broke up, D/J continued to be on/off again. Pacey didn't hang out with Joey, so no B&B. Bessie tried to reopen the Icehouse but the insurance wasn't enough. Things are financially bust for Potters. P /J never developed an acknowledged friendship despite the continuation of season 1 banter. Then there's tequila, a secret and more... This is P/J trust me!

Another Story

Chapter 1

I Want You Back by The Jackson Five was blasting from the largest sound system Capeside had ever seen. Seventeen year old Joey Potter wished they'd change the tune to something that was more fitting, but Jack was in charge of the stereo and after Simon and Garlfunkles Cecilia three hours ealier he had decided to stick with the retro theme.

It was during Marvin Gayes Sexual Healing that it happened. For the fifth time in her life she'd broken up with Dawson Leery. Or rather for the first time in her life Dawson Leery had broken up with her. Muttering about college and the distance between LA and Boston, he'd suggested they split up and see how they settled into the college scene before they made the life long commitment he knew they would one day make. He'd sounded so trite as he told her he wanted her forever, just not yet. Joey cringed whenever she thought about the conversation.

Sighing she wiped away a tear and poured herself another tequila shot.

'Death by tequila huh?' Jen dropped onto the dock beside her.

'I think it's only fitting,' Joey shrugged and rolled her eyes.

'You know if it's meant to be you'll come back together,' Jen put an arm around her friends shoulder and slurped some tequila straight from the bottle.

'Why is there no solace in that anymore?' Joey looked at Jen with wide eyes.

'Maybe, and this is just a maybe Jo, maybe deep down you're scared you won't come back together because somewhere inside you have this fear that perhaps Dawson isn't the one?' Jen looked at her and smiled to herself as Joey poured herself another generous tequila shot and threw it into the back of her throat.

'That is a big maybe,' she nodded getting drunker by the minute.

'Any substance to it?' Jen asked gently.

'The jury's still out. You know me and Dawson - its been a long trial and I think the verdict is still uncertain.'

'Despite his ill-timed, inconsiderate need for space?' Jen asked.

'Well I've done the same to him several times and we've always come back together,' Joey shrugged uncertainly.

'So you figure you deserve it?' Jen didnt think that sounded right.

'Not deserve it, I guess, I figure we all need room to grow. He does have god awful timing though. This is supposed to be a celebration no more school. We're high school graduates...'

'And instead of partying you're getting drunk by yourself,' Jen nudged her shoulder and Joey nudged her friends shoulder back,

'I'm not by myself - I'm wallowing in good company.'

'Only I'm not wallowing, I'm in the mood for a party - care to join me?' Jen stumbled to her feet and held a hand out to Joey. Joey took her hand and then hesitated,

'I think I'll wallow a little longer. I don't think I can quite take the all the lovey doveyness in there - you and Drue, Pacey and Andie, Jack and Toby and then me, it's a little much just this minute.'

'But you will come in?'

'After some more tequila I'll be there - get Jack to put on something with some more soul I feel like dancing,' she grinned and then turned back to stare at the water as Jen headed into the house.

'Care to share?' Pacey's voice interrupted Joey's drunken contemplation several minutes later.

'You,' she scowled at the intrusion.

'Yeah me,' he scowled back 'and I could do with some of the good stuff you stole from my sisters stash,' he pointed at the tequila bottle which Joey hugged protectively as if it were a teddy bear.

'This baby is all mine buster! I'm drowning my sorrows,' she growled.

'Sorrows?!' he scoffed, 'I don't give a shit about your sorrows, I want some tequila to dull mine,' he snatched the bottle from her and tossed the cap into the ocean.

'No need to litter Pacey,' she moaned at him.

'Cut me some slack here Joey,' he bit back.

'I don't see you cutting me any,' she snatched the bottle back.

'And why should I? You've got a fully funded place at an Ivy League University and you're with someone who loves you - why do you need the tequila?' he grabbed the bottle and a tussle for control began.

'For your information, my so called soul mate decided to call the whole thing off,' Joey said with venom and was pleased when the words caused Pacey to release the bottle. After a second he made to grab it again,

'So what if the ongoing, on off, drawn out saga of the will they or won't they couple of the decade is still ongoing, you know you'll be back together in a month or less when he realises what an ass he's been,' Pacey shot the words at her, 'at least he didn't sleep with someone else,' his eyes clouded over and Joey instantly released the bottle. 'Yeah my need is greater than yours,' he agreed as he sloshed the soothing, intoxicating liquid down his throat, wincing at the taste.

'Oh Pacey,' Joey felt her eyes tear up unexpectedly. 'How could she?' she slipped her hand into his, and before she knew it he released her hand and put his arm was around her, holding her close, as if she were his comfort teddy bear, his face pressed into her hair. After several moments he released her a bit and laughed angrily,

'Apparently it was very easy - she had a long affair with this guy called Mark she met in the institute in Providence. She didn't tell me but now it turns out they're going to Italy together. The last two years have been a complete sham,' the words rolled off his tongue bitterly as a tear fell into her hair.

'I'm so sorry Pace,' Joey felt like a silly little girl crying over a relationship she didn't doubt would one day be restored when Pacey had been so badly treated by a girl he had done so much for. 'I'll kick her ass if you like?' she offered, her words slurring together slightly.

'You would?' Pacey found a smile tug at his lips as he looked down at his long time enemy. 'And I thought you didn't like me?'

'I don't. You're like a hated sibling. I can be as nasty to you as much I want, but anyone else dare mess with you and they have me to deal with,' she informed him with a sassy smile.

'I can kick Dawsons ass for you,' he offered.

'Nah lets face it, you'd take him down. At least Andie stands a chance against me,' Joey shrugged.

'It is true that her perkiness has been known to weaken even your sarcastic and bitter temperament.'

'It was Christmas and I had my defences down,' Joey quipped in defence and Pacey chuckled.

'How about we stick to tequila and rejoice in the fact that they suck?' he asked.

'And I was getting all riled up for some ass kicking,' Joey pouted.

'Yeah, you've had a dry spell,' Pacey acknowledged.

'Well you've been busy with Andie and I've been busy with Dawson, its really made the physical beating of you difficult. I've really been suffering with just the verbal take downs,' Joey leant her head against his chest finding the hand stroking her hair soothing.

'You don't verbally take me down,' Pacey scoffed. 'I stopped trying to win because you're not worth the time,' he bantered.

'Not worth the time hey? That's funny because I've thought the same about you but then I realised I had to take pity and force you to exercise that brain cell of yours in some witty verbal repertoire,' she looked up and smiled sweetly.

'Such a kind hearted girl,' he muttered sarcastically. 'I'll have you know I graduated high school today with you Potter!'

'Pace you scraped by and I was class valedictorian,' she grinned.

'So I have different priorities,' he explained.

'I know, your girl and your boat,' she said and then instantly regretted it. 'I'm sorry Pace. I guess I forgot for a second there.'

'It's ok, but you're wrong, thats not what I meant,' he turned blazing blue eyes onto hers.

'What did you mean?' she asked faltering slightly under his intense expression.

'You know what Jo? You'll probably be sending me postcards back here from the big wide world. You've got it all at your feet - college, travel, a great job, a great future. I don't have that. I might see the world and I might stay here pumping gas for the rest of my life but all I really care about is being happy. I don't care about money, or about having the best job or being a success. Sure if an opportunity comes my way, I'll take it but only if I maintain time for the important things.'

'And what are the important things?' Joey looked at him with wide eyes.

'A girl, one day a family, my friends. You know that my family pretty much sucks right?' he asked and she nodded, 'well I want something so different to that. I want to have dinner with my girl. When I get married I want to have fun with my wife as if we're not married at all as if we still remember why we got together in the first place. And when I have kids I want to pick them up from school, bath them, read them bed time stories.'

'You want the kind of life we never had?' Joey asked. 'Aren't you worried about financial security? I just want to have money and some success. I guess I want to show them all that I could do it, that it doesn't matter where I came from or how hard its been, that I can make something of myself. Does none of that matter to you?' she looked at him waiting for an answer as he took in her words.

'Sure I want to make sure we're not hungry and the bills are paid, but at the end of the day kids just want their parents around - they might ask for the big gifts at Christmas but what really matters is the time you spend with them. What good is a remote control car if they have to play with it all by themselves? A pack of cards and their dad and they're happier. I would consider a life like that a success.

It's not about what career you have but being good at what you do. In my mind a success is someone who is happy and if an Ivy league education and life as a journalist, or a filmmaker or whatever you guys all end up becoming makes you happy then thats great, it's just not for me. I'd rather, I don't know, cook for a living in a two-bit restaurant and be happy than work on the stock market and be seen as a success and be unhappy!' Pacey trailed off trying to think through the haze of alcohol inside of him.

'You're a good guy Pacey. Andie is a fool,' Joey told him softly.

'Maybe,' he looked down.

'No maybe about it. One day she'll realise just what she lost.'

'But by then it'll be too late,' Pacey sighed deeply.

'What do you mean?'

'I just mean that even if I thought Andie was the one for me, I was wrong. I'm not the one for her and therefore I don't think she's the one for me. We're young, I mean I don't know,' he trailed off and looked down moving his arm from around her and taking her hand for some reason he couldn't explain. Looking at their fingers entwined a rush of heat surged through him.

'Can I ask you something Joey?' he asked feeling the swirl of alcohol in his system.

'What?'

'What makes you so sure Dawson is the one? Since we were fifteen this soul mate title has branded the two of you. What makes you so certain?' his eyes seemed to burn into hers as his fingers smoothed the soft skin of hers. Joey found it hard to concentrate with the patterns they were tracing.

'Can I be honest with you Pacey?' Joey leaned up conspiratorially until her lips were pressed to his ear and then whispered, 'I don't know where the soul mates thing came from. I think Dawson decided thats what we were. Sometimes I'm not sure. I mean he's my best friend but I'm not sure he gets me,' she trailed off but her lips stayed next to his ear breathing warm air against the sensitive skin there.

'Joey,' a low growl came from Pacey, causing Joey to look at him surprised at the change in his voice.

'What?' her skin tingled at the look of desire in his eyes.

'I know we're both bouncing pretty hard right now, and maybe its the alcohol, but you're looking all kinds of sexy right now,' he dipped his head so his lips brushed against her ear sending a tingle straight through her and causing a sliding sensation to bounce between her stomach and the area between her legs.

'Are you flirting with me Witter?' Joey arched a brow at him making him chuckle, 'You know weve been warring so long they may need to draw up truce papers!'

'I'll make a deal with you,' Pacey began slowly as his eyes travelled over her. Fuck but this woman is gorgeous, he couldn't help the thought. 'How about we call a cease fire and negotiate over land,' he ran a finger across her cheek.

'Land?' Joey whispered as her ability to breathe suddenly deserting her.

'Yeah, most wars are about land or possessions and we've been warring since sixth grade lets settle this,' lowering his head he placed a soft kiss on the slope of her neck.

'We lost the Ice House and we don't own our house anymore - I have no land,' Joey gasped slightly but found herself arching her neck to give him better access as his soft kisses burned a trail down her silky skin.

'I'm making out the territory as we speak Jo,' he murmured against her skin as he trailed the kisses up her neck until his lips met hers in a kiss that seemed to make the air around them crackle.

'I think this is fraternising with the enemy,' she told him weakly as her body melted into his.

'Well you're one sexy enemy,' he moaned against her lips before kissing her again, his arms pulling her closer. A soft moan escaped her as his lips and hands trailed over her body. She lay back on the sand as his hands pushed at her top and his lips branded the soft skin he revealed